Drag Race favorite Ginger Minj takes Manhattan

Millions watch Ru Paul’s Drag Race every week and have made it one of TV’s most fun competition shows. This season’s breakout star, Ginger Minj, may not have taken home the crown, (“No one wants to be Fantasia. Everyone wants to be Jennifer Hudson. I’m perfectly content not winning.”) but she did steal the audience’s heart.

What surprised you about your Drag Race experience this season?

I didn’t expect to go in and actually care about these people. It’s a competition and a game, but being able to talk and get to know these girls, we actually did create a bond. There are 14 other people who had the same experience as each other so there’s a love there. I had heard of other seasons having something similar but I didn’t understand it until I was in it.

How did your new single, “Ooh Lala Lala” come about?

There’s a pressure to release music once the Drag Race season is over. The fans want and expect it but I was not going to do it just to do it. I’ve been a singer my whole life so I wanted something quality. I wanted an anthem for everyone, no matter if you’re gay, straight, skinny, fat, purple or pink – do what you want to do. You’ll be alright.

We recorded the song and shot the video in a week and a half. I felt like a rock star.

It’s a one-woman show about my life from being born to being in drag. It’s about me reconciling my Southern Baptist upbringing with the terrible decisions I make every day – all set to music. It’s cheaper than therapy to sing about it rather than say it. There’s no better audience than NYC so it’s going to be great.

How did being a part of Drag Race affect how you perform going forward?

I’ve been a performer my enter life, but I felt like I’d reached my peak in Orlando. I just wasn’t pushing myself. Drag Race forced me to open my mind and try. Even if I’m not great at something, I can do it. Now I’m pushing to do things that make myself nervous and take bigger chances.

What’s next for you?

I have an album that’s going to drop that actually features a duet with Margaret Cho. It’s hysterical and nothing like what you would expect either she or I to do. I have my show happening, then there’s the Drag Race tour after that. Basically, now that I know John Waters is a huge fan, I’m hoping he will write me a movie to come back as Divine’s long lost child.